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Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Floor Maintenance Tips

Here are a few easy maintenance tips that will help you enjoy the beauty of your wood floors longer.

  • Sweep or vacuum regularly so abrasive dirt won’t scratch the finish.
  • Wipe up any spilled liquid quickly from your floor.
  • Watch out for high heels—they are hardwood flooring’s worst enemy after sand and water—and some kinds of sports footwear, particularly if they’re worn or damaged.
  • Put mats outside and inside entrances. This will prevent the build-up of sand and dirt on the floor.
  • Put mats in front of the kitchen sink, the dishwasher, and all kitchen work stations to protect your floor from dropped utensils and spills of water, detergent, and food.
  • Avoid mats with rubber or other dense backing that prevents airflow and traps abrasive dirt and moisture.
  • Attach felt pads to the feet of all furniture to make it easier to move and prevent scratches. Keep the pads clean and replace if damaged.
  • Replace plastic casters with wide rubber or soft polyurethane casters.
  • Protect the floor when moving furniture. Use a mat turned upside down with a slightly smaller piece of plywood on top of it. Place furniture on top and slide it.
  • Maintain humidity levels between 40 and 50%, for your own health as well as for the protection of your floor and wooden furniture.
  • Use a hygrometer [relative humidity indicator] to check moisture content in the air to ensure that relative humidity is within the recommended range.
  • Avoid exposing your floor to sunlight and intense artificial light, which can cause wood to change color. This is a completely normal and natural phenomenon. The lighter the wood, the more pronounced the change will be.
  • Move your carpets and furniture occasionally and use a minimum number of light sources to keep color changes uniform.

Things to avoid:

  • Do not pour cleaner directly on the floor.
  • Do not use a wet mop that can leave excess water behind.
  • Never use floor wax, oil-based detergent, or any other household cleaner on your floor. These products can damage the finish and leave a greasy film that makes your floor slippery, difficult to maintain, and impossible to refinish without deep sanding and complete revarnishing.
  • Do not raise or lower the temperature of a radiant heating system by more than 2.8°C [5°F] per day when turning the system on or off.
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914-747-8172

Arben: 914-490-8517
Valentino: 914-469-2966